Norwood trails group outlines bridge projects, Cooper Park opening and expanded accessibility

Members of the Norwood Trails Advisory Committee described plans to finish sections of the townwide “Tie Out” trail, build a series of CPA-funded water crossings and open the Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park in a public presentation at the Norwood Public Library.

The committee said the projects are meant to connect existing neighborhood trails, improve wayfinding, and add accessible trail and park features. The presentation summarized recent trail maintenance, a program of temporary and permanent water crossings, and outreach plans that include monthly community walks and Earth Day cleanups.

Lee Leach, a member of the Norwood Trails Advisory Committee, opened the presentation by framing the work as a cost-effective public investment: “Hiking trails represent perhaps the most economical form of public investment in outdoor recreation,” Leach said. He and other committee members walked the audience through mapping efforts, volunteer-led maintenance and the committee’s ties to town departments and funders.

The committee said it has six printed trail maps available at town facilities and is near publication of a seventh map covering the Meadow Street area. Those maps include QR codes that link to additional online resources hosted through Town of Norwood web pages, the committee said. “We’ve renamed that...the Tiat Trail,” Leach said,…